best new baseball cards to invest in!

Rookies and Non-Rookies

Now that it is October, it is a good time to take a look at this year's baseball players and invest in some cards. It is easy to still invest in rookie cards this late in the year but if you wait through the playoffs/World Series, then it might be more difficult to obtain good rookie

cards. There are some signs and some pointers to look for when investing in rookies or other cards.

First, keep in mind that rookies may do well for a season or two and still end up as a dud. One example of this would be Corey Patterson. I invested in some Corey Patterson cards his rookie year and his second year, he was the hot ticket those two years. Now, he could not hit the backside of a barn with his bat. He has declined and I have a few Corey Patterson cards to get rid of... Anyone looking for some Cubs cards? Also, good cards to invest in may not always be rookie cards.

Second, this is an investment. Investments take time and money, this isn't a get rich quick scheme. It is easier to have fun with cards if it's already your hobby, if you are in it for the money then it is easy to lose your head and stop having fun.

Warnings aside, let's get started. If you have been keeping up with the MLB then you know that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays got into the play-offs for the first time in franchise history. They have a lot of good, young players. The rookie to watch on that team this year is Evan Longoria, third baseman. In the first play-off game, Longoria had two home-runs and a really good game. He is good under pressure. It is a good idea to get a couple of his cards this year because it looks like he is a solid player and will stick around.

The Devil Rays also have a couple other players to get a couple cards of: B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford. Both of these players are young and solid. This isn't their rookie years but their cards don't cost an arm and a leg.

Now let's take a look at a pitcher. Joba Chamberlain has been making some waves in the MLB. He is a strong right-handed pitcher for the Yankees. He is very dominant and has a great record coming into the MLB. The Yankees were being careful with him this year but expect to see more of him. Some collectors have already started to direct their attention and money to getting Chamberlain cards, so if you are going to snatch up a couple of his rookies, you will need to hurry.

Kosuke Fukudome is an outfielder for the Cubs. He is 30 years old and already has 9 years of pro experience in the Japan league. He is a solid hitter and a good outfielder. Whether you are a Cubs fan or not he is a good addition to a collection and a player to look out for.

There is another Cub to look at this year: Geovany Soto. He plays catcher and definitely grabbed some attention this year. Soto crushed in AAA with 26 home-runs and 109 runs-batted-in last year. He is expected to be a good asset for the Cubs as they build up their ball club for the World Series. So far, the Cubs haven't been doing too well in the post-season but they have a lot of talent if they stick together for next year.

J.R. Towles is another rookie to keep in mind. He plays catcher for the Houston Astros. He has a featured autograph in the Upper Deck X series this year. He has been a good player so far for the Astros and he is one to add to your list of quick cards. Since he is still under many collector's radars, it is a good time to get a couple cards pretty cheap.

Now, with the top rookies aside, there are always cards that aren't rookies but are good to invest in. Here's some:

Chipper Jones has been at the top for awhile and will continue to be until he retires are gets injured, so look into purchasing a couple of his cards.

Derek Jeter has made waves since he hit the MLB, his cards continue to gain value and interest. Grab some of his cards (if you can find any for a good price).

Lance Burkman is a solid player for the Astros and a player that is pretty easy to obtain cards for.

Alex Rodriguez is always a strong player to invest into, he has done well with the Yankees and will continue to.

Brian McCain has been putting up great numbers and the Braves would have been way worse without him this year.

Those would be the top five that I would suggest you buy this year. If you don't have a lot of money to get into the hobby with but you would still like to get a couple cards, there are a few tricks I have learned. Find the card that you want on Ebay and only bid the starting bid (assuming that someone has bid already), do not raise your bid at all. You would be surprised at how often you win, unless you are trying to win a Jeter autograph and then it will never work.

Another way to get the cards you want is to trade for them if you already have some cards. If you don't have any cards then you might want to visit a card shop and buy a few jersey cards or autographs to trade with (Ebay will probably be less expensive even with shipping). One place to trade cards is tradecardsnow.com. Another site would be sportscardfreaks.com. I have completed a couple trades on each site already and it is very easy to get hooked.

Enjoy your cards, and always keep your eyes peeled for new players to invest in!